Author: Christine Harutyunian

Sports: Muradyan To Represent Armenia In Billie Jean King Cup [Tennis]

Christine Harutyunian
SJSU Spartans
San Jose State University
SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José State’s Irena Muradyan is set to represent her home country of Armenia in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup. Muradyan and the Armenian team will compete in Europe Group III against 10 other countries for one promotion spot.

“We are so proud of Irena, and we wish her all the success in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup,” head coach Chad Skorupka said.

  • This is Muradyan’s third year competing for the Armenian team.
  • She led the Spartans with 12 singles wins in dual matches, going 12-6 on the season.
  • She also had the most doubles wins on the year, going 10-7 alongside Rozalina Youseva.
  • Muradyan was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2021.

AW: Rare Manuscripts at Armenian Museum of America to be restored through Bank of America Grant

Christine Harutyunian
June 9, 2023 Guest Contributor Community News, Diaspora, Culture 0

BOSTON, Mass.— As part of its Art Conservation Project, Bank of America (BofA) provided a grant to the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown to restore 21 illuminated manuscripts from its collection, one of which dates back to the 13th century, the museum announced today. Bank of America selected the Armenian Museum of America as one of 23 cultural institutions that have been named recipients of the 2023 Bank of America Art Conservation Project, a program that provides grants to nonprofit cultural institutions to conserve important works of art.

This year’s recipients represent a diverse range of artistic styles, media and cultural traditions across China, Colombia, France, Lebanon, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, the UK and the US.

The Armenian Museum of America has the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in the United States. Among them is an extremely rare collection of 21 handwritten and hand-illuminated manuscripts, of which approximately 10 are on display in the museum’s galleries at any given time. One example is a small hymnal, or sharaknots in Armenian, which contains hymns to be chanted and performed on feast days. Attributed to the prolific artist Karapet of Berkri, the illumination depicts the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Since 2010, Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project has supported the preservation of paintings, sculptures, and archeological and architectural pieces of critical importance to cultural heritage and the history of art. More than 237 projects across 40 countries managed by nonprofit cultural institutions received funding to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art that are in danger of deterioration.

“We are incredibly grateful to Bank of America for providing us with this grant so our manuscripts will be preserved so that they can be viewed by the public and studied in perpetuity without risk of further damage. This partnership will allow visitors to view the art and culture of the past, and to see it in the context of the present in our galleries,” said Jason Sohigian, executive director of the Armenian Museum.

“By the medieval period, Armenians had a rich literary society. Since then, many manuscripts and illuminations have been looted or destroyed, a process that intensified during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Preservation has taken on a renewed importance, as Armenia’s cultural heritage remains at risk,” he added.

Pictured at the Armenian Museum of America (l. to r.): Kerry Miles, Art and Heritage Project Manager at Bank of America; Maryann Ekberg, Managing Director, Bank of America Private Bank; Jason Sohigian, Executive Director, The Armenian Museum of America; and Michele M. Kolligian, President, The Armenian Museum of America

“The Armenian Museum of America is an indispensable resource for the preservation of the rich heritage of the Armenian people. The conservation of these artifacts enriches the community and allows people of all backgrounds to appreciate how the inspirational story of the Armenian people fits into the history of America,” said Miceal Chamberlain, President, Bank of America Massachusetts.

The conservation of these rare books will be completed by experts from the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan, which is the largest and most significant Armenian library and archive in the world. The manuscripts require restoration and preservation due to worn edges, light damage and dust.

The Art Conservation Project is one demonstration of BofA’s commitment to promoting cultural sustainability and making the arts more accessible and inclusive in communities.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/09/2023

Christine Harutyunian 
                                        Friday, June 9, 2023
Putin, Pashinian Meet Again
Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian meet in Sochi, June 9, 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian on Friday for the second time in two weeks to discuss bilateral ties 
and the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
The talks followed Putin’s collective meeting with the prime ministers of 
several ex-Soviet states who held a regular session in the Russian city of Sochi.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity on the sidelines of today's event to 
once again talk about the current situation in bilateral terms and in regional 
areas, which we spoke about in such detail at the previous meeting in Moscow,” 
Putin told Pashinian in his short opening remarks.
Pashinian said, for his part, that they will discuss the “tense humanitarian 
situation” in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s continuing blockade 
of the Lachin corridor.
“By the way, I must emphasize that now food deliveries to Nagorno-Karabakh are 
carried out with the help of Russian peacekeepers, and this is a limited amount 
of food,” he said.
The Kremlin and the Armenian government’s press office did not report any 
details of their ensuing conversation.
RUSSIA -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C), Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian (R) and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev (L) meet in Moscow, May 
25, 2023.
Putin held separate and trilateral meetings with Pashinian and Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow on May 25. The talks focused on the restoration 
of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan envisaged by a 
Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the 2020 war in Karabakh.
The deputy prime ministers of the three states met in Moscow on June 2 to try to 
settle what Putin called “purely technical” issues hampering the opening of the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border to commercial traffic. According to an Armenian 
government statement, they made “substantial progress” on the functioning of a 
railway that would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through 
Armenia’s Syunik province.
Aliyev and Pashinian met again in Moldova’s capital Chisinau on June 1 for 
further discussions of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty sought by Baku. 
European Union chief Charles Michel mediated the talks together with French 
President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In was announced in Chisinau that the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers 
will start a new round of negotiations in Washington on June 12 in preparation 
for yet another Aliyev-Pashinian encounter which Michel will host in July. The 
Washington talks were delayed this week for unknown reasons.
Russia has been very critical of the Western peace efforts. In a televised 
interview aired on Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin repeated 
Moscow’s claims that the United States is using the Karabakh conflict to try to 
drive Russia out of the South Caucasus. He also accused Washington of trying to 
“subjugate Russia’s partners and allies in a neo-colonial style.”
Karabakh Official Warns Of Another Escalation
        • Karlen Aslanian
A view of an Azerbaijani checkpoint recently set up at the entry of the Lachin 
corridor, Nagorno-Karabakh's only land link with Armenia, by a bridge across the 
Hakari river, May 2, 2023.
Azerbaijan may be preparing the ground for another upsurge in violence, a senior 
Nagorno-Karabakh official said on Friday, pointing to increased ceasefire 
violations reported from the Karabakh conflict zone in recent weeks.
Tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and “the line of contact” around 
Karabakh have been steadily rising despite major progress reportedly made in 
peace talks between Baku and Yerevan. The conflicting sides accuse each other of 
violating the ceasefire on a virtually daily basis.
Baku regularly claims that Azerbaijani troops opened fire to stop Karabakh 
Armenian forces from fortifying their positions. The authorities in Stepanakert 
dismiss this as a smokescreen for justifying systematic Azerbaijani gunfire at 
Karabakh farmers and their tractors engaged in agricultural work.
Sergei Ghazarian, the Karabakh foreign minister, said the Azerbaijani claims are 
not borne out by daily news bulletins released by Russian peacekeepers in 
Karabakh.
“This is just an attempt to exert pressure on the Armenian side, the Artsakh 
side with such false allegations and try to use this for justifying a possible 
escalation,” Ghazarian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“Unfortunately, I have to point out that the likelihood of various kinds of 
tensions and escalations is quite high,” he said. “These new episodes fit into 
that logic.”
Armenian officials and pundits likewise claim that Baku is ratcheting up the 
tensions in a bid to clinch more Armenian concessions.
On May 28, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev threatened the Karabakh Armenians 
with fresh military action. He said they must dissolve their government bodies 
and unconditionally accept Azerbaijani rule.
“Everyone knows that we can carry out any [military] operation in that 
territory,” Aliyev warned.
Fallen Soldier’s Mother Freed After Suspend Jail Term
        • Robert Zargarian
Armenia - Gayane Hakobian is brought into a courtroom in Yerevan, June 5, 2023.
A woman accused of attempting to “kidnap” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s son 
was freed on Friday after a court in Yerevan gave her a four-year suspended 
prison sentence at the end of a short trial.
Gayane Hakobian, whose son Zhora Martirosian was killed during the 2020 war in 
Nagorno-Karabakh, walked free because of pleading guilty to the accusation 
strongly denied by her until then. She avoided talking to the press after the 
announcement of the guilty verdict. The final session of the trial took place 
behind the closed doors.
The lawyers who represented Hakobian for the last two weeks said earlier in the 
day that she has fired them because of disagreeing with their defense tactic. 
They did not deny that she struck a deal with prosecutors.
“There is a conflict between Mrs. Gayane’s and our positions,” one of the 
lawyers, Hovsep Sargsian, told reporters. “We planned on continuing our defense 
aimed at her acquittal, but Mrs. Gayane is of a different opinion now.”
Hakobian already replaced other lawyers who represented her right after her 
arrest on May 17, which sparked angry protests by several dozen other parents of 
fallen soldiers and hundreds of their sympathizers. That move fueled speculation 
that she is cooperating with what the protesters condemned as a politically 
motivated investigation into her argument with Ashot Pashinian.
Armenia - People demonstrate outside a court in Yerevan during a hearing on 
Gayane Hakobian's pre-trial arrest, 20 May, 2023.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee charged Hakobian with tricking the prime 
minister’s son into getting in her car and trying to drive him to the Yerablur 
Military Pantheon where her son was buried along with hundreds of other soldiers 
killed in action. Pashinian Jr. jumped out of the car on their way to Yerablur.
The grief-stricken woman insisted at the start of her trial on June 5 that Ashot 
Pashinian was not forced into her and that she only wanted to talk to him at 
Yerablur.
The high-profile trial began hours after the Court of Appeals moved Hakobian to 
house arrest. The lower court judge presiding over the trial promptly issued a 
new arrest warrant demanded by the prosecutors and Ashot Pashinian. The latter 
told the judge that she committed a “grave crime” and must remain behind bars.
Armenian opposition leaders and other critics of the government claim that Nikol 
Pashinian ordered Hakobian’s arrest in a bid to muzzle the families of deceased 
soldiers who have staged demonstrations over the past year to demand his 
prosecution on war-related charges. Hakobian actively participated in them.
The prime minister triggered the regular demonstrations in April 2022 when he 
responded to continuing opposition criticism of his handling of the disastrous 
war with Azerbaijan. He said he “could have averted the war, as a result of 
which we would have had the same situation, but of course without the 
casualties.” The soldiers’ families say Pashinian thus publicly admitted 
sacrificing the lives of at least 3,800 Armenian soldiers killed during the 
six-week war.
Key Opposition Groups Still Undecided On Yerevan Elections
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - Senor lawmakers from the opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances 
talk during a parliament session in Yerevan, August 24, 2021.
Armenia’s two leading opposition forces said on Friday that they have still not 
decided whether to run in municipal elections in Yerevan tentatively slated for 
September 17.
Residents of the Armenian capital will to go the polls to elect a new municipal 
assembly that will in turn appoint the city’s mayor.
The last mayor, Hrachya Sargsian, stepped down on March 17 after only 15 months 
in office. Yerevan has since been effectively run by Tigran Avinian, a deputy 
mayor nominated by the ruling Civil Contract party for the vacant post.
Avinian has kept a high profile for the last three months, chairing meetings 
with municipal officials, issuing instructions to them and talking to ordinary 
citizens. Critics accuse him of abusing his position to prematurely conduct his 
election campaign. The 34-year-old vice-mayor allied to Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian has dismissed these claims.
Armenia - Former Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian attends a session of 
Yerevan's municipal assembly, September 23, 2022.
“Convincing the people of Yerevan that you really deserve [to become mayor] is a 
very difficult task,” he told reporters last month.
It remains unclear whether Avinian and the ruling party will be challenged by 
any of the two opposition alliances represented in the Armenian parliament. 
Senior members of the Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service that they have not even discussed their participation in the polls so 
far.
Avinian would also face a serious challenge from Hayk Marutian, whom Pashinian’s 
political team had installed as mayor after winning the overwhelming majority of 
seats in the city council in 2018. The council ousted Marutian in December 2021 
after he fell out with the prime minister.
Armenia - A screenshot of a September 2022 video ad of former Yerevan Mayor Hayk 
Marutian's upcoming monodrama.
During his ouster Marutian accused Armenia’s current leaders of betraying the 
goals of the 2018 “velvet revolution” that brought them to power. The former TV 
comedian, who appears to remain popular with many Yerevan voters, has not yet 
announced plans to join the mayoral race.
About a dozen other figures mostly representing fringe parties are expected to 
enter the fray. One of those parties, Aprelu Yerkir, is reportedly sponsored by 
Ruben Vardanyan, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who moved to 
Nagorno-Karabakh last September.
Earlier this week, Aprelu Yerkir nominated Mane Tandilian, its chairwoman and a 
former labor minister in Pashinian’s government, as its mayoral candidate. 
Tandilian claimed that she is aiming for “resounding victory” in the municipal 
elections which she said would amount to a vote of no confidence in Pashinian’s 
administration.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

From Armenia to Georgia, the states that are gaining from the sanctions against Russia

Christine Harutyunian
June 7 2023

Sanctions on Russia do not harm everyone. On the contrary. Armenia and Georgia, two former satellite states in the Caucasus region, have emerged from the first year of the Moscow-Kiev conflict with double-digit economic growth: in 2022 the Armenian GDP rose by 12.6% and that of Georgia by 10.1% , according to data from the International Monetary Fund. In 2023 the pace will slow to 5.5% and 4%, reflecting a “general moderation” in the region.

The leap in both economies, explains a survey by the broadcaster CNBC, is due to the intensification of commercial and financial relations with Moscow, taking advantage of the state of isolation inflicted on Russia by the various waves of sanctions from Western governments. Even if now it is the same governments in conflict with Moscow, including those within the EU perimeter, who are mediating retaliatory measures against third countries that have been used – or have been used – as commercial “intermediate partners”: countries that offer a neutral ground for the transit of goods, allowing to circumvent the strict taxes in Moscow on imports and exports.

The strategy had already been contested by some Western leaders and also affects other countries en route to Moscow, such as Kazakhstan and Turkey. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has identified and noted the role of “intermediaries” offered by countries that can act as a bridge between conflicting economic systems, benefiting from them in the trade balance. In 2023, Russia emerged as Georgia’s second-largest import partner and third-largest export partner, after increasing the country’s product sales by 79 percent and its purchase of Georgian goods by 7 percent.

Moscow is directly Armenia’s first partner for both imports and exports, in the face of an increase in flows to and from Russia also recorded by minor economies such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. Armenia and Georgia have not disclosed the details of their trade, although data from the national statistical institute of Georgia reveal that automobiles, oil and other “commodities” have affected the bulk of trade on a general basis. If we go into detail, notes CNBC, the total number of vehicles, aircraft and ships exported to Russia quadrupled in 2022 and doubled compared to 2021. Some sources report an increase of 1000% or 500%, a leap considered “suspicious » for speeds and volumes.

The phenomenon has not gone unnoticed and could officially be included in the next rounds of sanctions imposed on Moscow. A spokesman for the European Commission revealed to CNBC that the EU executive is working to counter the “redirection” of certain flows of goods from third countries that operate as “gateways” in favor of Russia. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the 11th round of sanctions in Brussels will also focus on combating the “circumvention” of the measures already inflicted on the Russian economy. At stake, indirectly, there are also the aspirations of opening up to the West of the countries now being targeted for the role of intermediation with Moscow. The first example is precisely Georgia, which is working on its candidate status as a member of the EU.

CSI launches social media campaign for Armenians threatened by genocide

Christine Harutyunian
May 30 2023

As Azerbaijan tightens noose around Armenians, “The Cost of Silence” campaign seeks to mobilize support

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, May 30, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Human rights group Christian Solidarity International is launching a month-long social media campaign, entitled “The Cost of Silence,” on Tuesday, May 30, to highlight the growing threat of genocide faced by Armenian Christians in Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia.

The campaign grew out of a fact-finding mission to southern Armenia in late March this year. A CSI team traveled to several villages on the tense Armenia-Azerbaijan border, where they were able to meet with Armenian families displaced from Karabakh by Azerbaijan’s 2020 invasion and ethnic cleansing campaign, as well as survivors of Azerbaijan’s 2022 assault on the Republic of Armenia.

The night before the CSI team arrived in the region, Azerbaijani forces occupied 110 hectares of Armenian farmland nearby. Two weeks after their visit, on April 11 the same villages they visited were bombarded by the Azerbaijani military.

“The Cost of Silence” seeks to share the stories of these Armenians with a wide audience. People who interact with the campaign will have the opportunity to sign a pledge of solidarity with Armenian Christians under attack, calling on their governments to do everything in their power to break Azerbaijan’s siege. They will also be directed to a range of advocacy resources to take action on behalf of the Armenians.

The region of Nagorno Karabakh, where 120,000 Armenian Christians live, has been under siege by the dictatorship of Azerbaijan since December 12. Azerbaijan has blocked the only road connecting the region to the Republic of Armenia, and thus to the rest of the world. It has also cut gas and electricity lines into the region. A humanitarian disaster is in the making.

In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale war against Nagorno Karabakh, killing thousands, driving tens of thousands of Armenians out of their homes, and committing numerous war crimes against civilians and captured soldiers. In September 2022, Azerbaijan launched a two-day assault on the Republic of Armenia itself.

Azerbaijan’s dictator, Ilham Aliyev, has referred to Armenians as “dogs,” “rats,” and “humanoid creatures,” and pledged to “drive them out of our lands” – which according to Aliyev, includes not only Nagorno Karabakh, but nearly all of the Republic of Armenia itself.

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) and other human rights organizations have issued a Genocide Warning for Armenian Christians in Nagorno Karabakh.
CSI’s campaign webpage for “The Cost of Silence” can be visited at: www.csi-int.org/campaigns/karabakh/the-cost-of-silence/

Contact: Joel Veldkamp | [email protected]

CSI is an interconfessional Christian human rights organization, campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity.

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
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CSI’s Joel Veldkamp discusses the looming threat of potential genocide in Armenia.

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/636409504/csi-launches-social-media-campaign-for-armenians-threatened-by-genocide

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 01-06-23

Christine Harutyunian

 17:32, 1 June 2023

YEREVAN, 1 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 1 June, USD exchange rate up by 0.36 drams to 386.98 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.73 drams to 414.49 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 4.78 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 4.59 drams to 482.53 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 171.27 drams to 24440.46 drams. Silver price up by 0.27 drams to 289.33 drams.

Pashinyan visits Moldova for European Political Community Summit, EU-mediated talks with Azerbaijan

Christine Harutyunian

Save

 15:15,

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, together with his wife Anna Hakobyan, has left for Moldova on a working visit from May 31 to June 2.

In Chisinau, PM Pashinyan will participate in the Second European Political Community Summit. The Armenian Prime Minister will also have bilateral meetings with international partners.

A five-sided meeting between the Armenian PM, French President, German Chancellor, President of the European Council and the Azerbaijani President is also scheduled.

At least 5 members of the press covering Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict targeted by Pegasus spyware: report

Christine Harutyunian
May 25 2023

May 25, 2023 8:32 AM EDT

Stockholm, May 25, 2023—In response to a report released Thursday by a group of rights organizations alleging that Pegasus spyware was used to surveil at least five Armenian members of the press who covered the country’s military conflict with Azerbaijan, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:

“Today’s report is yet another deeply disturbing reminder of the immense danger posed by Pegasus and other spyware used to target journalists,” said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director, in New York. “Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities should allow transparent inquiries into the targeting of Armenian journalists with Pegasus, and NSO Group must offer a convincing response to the report’s findings and stop providing its technologies to states or other actors who target journalists.”

The report, “Hacking in a war zone: Pegasus spyware in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict,” identified at least 12 people whose devices were infected by Pegasus, spyware produced by the Israeli company NSO Group. Many of the infections clustered around the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its subsequent escalations.

The report was published Thursday, May 25, by the rights groups Access Now, Amnesty International, and Citizen Lab, the Armenian digital emergencies group CyberHUB-AM, as well as independent mobile security researcher Ruben Muradyan.

The targets included Armenian human rights activists, academics, and state officials, two media representatives who requested to be kept anonymous, and three named journalists:

  • Karlen Aslanyan, a reporter with the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Radio Azatutyun
  • Astghik Bedevyan, a reporter with Radio Azatutyun
  • Samvel Farmanyan, co-founder of the now-defunct independent broadcaster ArmNews TV

The report says its authors found “substantial evidence” suggesting that Azerbaijan authorities purchased access to Pegasus, and that the targets would have been of intense interest to Azerbaijan. The targets were also critical of Armenia’s government, which is believed to have previously used another spyware product.

NSO Group previously told CPJ that it licenses Pegasus to fight crime and terrorism, stating that it investigates “all credible claims of misuse and take[s] appropriate action,” including shutting down a customer’s access to the software.

CPJ has documented the grave threat posed to journalists by spyware, and joined with other rights groups to issue recommendations to policymakers and companies to combat the use of spyware against the media, including by imposing bans on technology and vendors implicated in human rights abuses.

Azerbaijani journalists Sevinj Vagifgizi and Khadija Ismayilova were previously confirmed to have had their devices infected with Pegasus, while dozens of other prominent Azerbaijani journalists featured on a leaked list of potential Pegasus targets analyzed by the collaborative investigation Pegasus Project in 2021.

CPJ emailed NSO Group, the National Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, and the State Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan for comment, but did not immediately receive any replies.

Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute comments on scandalous video

Christine Harutyunian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
19:33, 27.05.2023
Region:Armenia
Theme: Society, Incidents, Culture

The “Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute” Foundation (AGMI) informs that the papers in the boxes seen in the video spread on the Internet today are the drafts of the working copies of exhibitions, conferences, lectures organized by AGMI in different years, the foundation informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“In the near future, AGMI will issue a denial request to the author of the video, and we urge those spreading the material not to disseminate unspecified information,” the message says.

Earlier, a video circulated on the Internet, in which various papers were seen being burned near the Armenian Genocide Museum in Tsitsernakaberd Park.

Seventeen Inspiring Years teaching “Genocides of the Twentieth Century” in RI

Christine Harutyunian
 Rob Petrucci Reflections, Diaspora, Special Reports 0

Special Issue: Genocide Education for the 21st Century
The Armenian Weekly, April 2023

Thinking about the past has always been a passion of mine, and family history is important to certain members of every family. I never fully understood this until I had the great fortune of joining the Halvajian/Ashukian family in the fall of 1993. As an aspiring teacher, I listened to the stories about the Armenian Genocide from my new family members and grew to recognize the impact it had on a generation of Armenians—a generation that deals with the horrific knowledge that lives would never be fully realized or recognized and that families would be forever ruptured with relatives who never came home. Generations of Armenians would not have the opportunity to contribute to this world and leave their legacy. The unimaginable events of World War I are increasingly and globally confirmed as a genocide by more and more countires and leaders every year; President Biden recognized the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2021. As a young man, listening to these stories during family dinners, and every November on a larger scale at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church bazaar in Providence, RI, had a tremendous impact on me.  

In the early 2000s, I attended a conference on the Holocaust at the University of Rhode Island, which led to an awe-inspiring trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. That led to another conference on the Armenian Genocide at Rhode Island College. Initial interest can ignite imagination. Wonder can lead to action. These two specific encounters led to the creation of a history class titled Genocides of the Twentieth Century, which has been in existence since 2006 at East Greenwich High School (EGHS) in RI.  Having the right people around you makes all the difference in the world when you are trying to build something from scratch.  Esther Kalajian and Pauline Getzoyan, along with Tim McPartlin (department head of East Greenwich High School) and Mike Levine (former principal of East Greenwich High School) were just the people needed to help move this course out of the development phase and into the program of studies at EGHS.  

Since 2006, we have offered two to four classes per year.  The classes are often at capacity, and students have visited me to ask to be put on a waiting list to gain admission to a section. The course has become one of the most popular electives in the social studies department, if not in the entire school. Due to the content, the class is restricted to juniors and seniors, which makes its popularity even more impressive. The class is offered at the college preparatory level, making it available to all upperclassmen–with no prerequisite–further expanding its accessibility.  It is a class that has evolved over time and will continue to do so as world affairs dictate discussions and curriculum.  East Greenwich High School is also in compliance with RI state law that requires exposure to and instruction in the Holocaust and genocides by the time students graduate from high school.

A visit to hear Holocaust survivor Alice Eichenbaum speak at the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center on April 11, 2019

The course uses primary source documents, films, websites, novels and field trips, among other materials to provide students with a well-rounded experience culminating in a unique final presentation at the end of each semester. It is designed to engage students on a variety of levels that challenge them to dive into important philosophical discussions. Man versus man; good versus evil; why is there suffering in the world; what role does religion play; what causes human brutality; and what are the forces that shape the worst in us are just a few of the many essential questions students are asked to answer throughout the semester. While the class covers the history of events, it’s also philosophical in nature, leaving open the chance to engage in rich class discussions that broaden the minds of young adults and encourage spirited, lively conversation during instruction. The two main anchors of the course are the the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust. Students have familiarity with World War I and World War II by the time they are eligible for the class, and this makes teaching these events even more important.  While virtually every student has had some exposure to the Holocaust, almost no students recall or know about the Armenian Genocide. In some cases, students are shocked to learn that the Armenian Genocide is WWI’s greatest atrocity, and yet, it is rarely taught or discussed. What may be more egregious is how world affairs and the geopolitical debate can dictate the official response of the United States when it pertains to what happened to the Armenians over 100 years ago. Students learn about the parallels between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust and draw their own conclusions based upon the evidence.  

The use of films and a novel plays an important part in the class and helps to bring a human element to their experience. Schindler’s List, The Promise, Defiance and Hotel Rwanda bring these important events in history to life in a way that students understand. Students also read the book Never Fall Down. The novel is leaves such an impression that students often ask to take a copy home or read it outside of class. The method used in telling the story of Arn (a young boy assigned to a Cambodian labor camp then turned child soldier) is very authentic, and students can visualize a vivid picture of the scenes described throughout the book. These different forms of media play a vital role in the educational process and show students how ordinary people can do extraordinary feats against the toughest of odds, even in the most difficult situations.  

Visiting the Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Monument in Providence, RI on October 26, 2022

There have been many memorable class experiences, but the bi-annual field trip and final presentation are the top two choices of the students. Every semester, we visit downtown Providence to walk through Memorial Park, just off South Main Street. Students can walk from the pedestrian bridge to the park and take in the beautiful memorials, while listening to an audio tour of the RI Holocaust Memorial. Students also visit the North Burial Ground in Providence. There, students learn the history of the Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Monument dedicated on April 24, 1977, and the Memorial Pedestal dedicated on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015. Following these two stops, we often travel to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center for a tour of the facilities and to hear a speaker, usually discussing the Holocaust.  Over the years, students have heard from a Jewish rabbi, a passenger on the Kindertransport (Children’s Transport), and most recently, they heard and asked questions of  internationally-recognized Rwandan genocide survivor and human rights activist Jacqueline Murekatete.

Our final presentation of the semester challenges students to think about the future and the role the United States plays when it concerns the issue of genocide globally.  The simulation is an adaptation of the Brown University Choices Program. Students use what they’ve learned throughout the semester and get a more concentrated look at genocide from the use of primary source documents and a series of important eyewitness testimony videos. They learn what America knew about the Armenian Genocide through a series of headlines and articles in The New York Times in 1915. All of this work culminates in a simulation the students conduct on the final two days of the project. They are tasked with deliberating four different policies the United States could adopt by asking a series of questions for better clarification of the policy. The background information is paramount to their role, and students can use real historical events to argue their points.  

Once the presentations are complete, the real work begins. Students analyze the policies and then craft their own policy based on history, research and their own beliefs. They can adopt a policy they learned during the simulation, combine policies or draw on their experiences throughout the semester to write something completely different. After drafting the new policy for the United States, it’s time to put their work to the test. Students are given a global case study, and they must examine their policy as it would pertain to the hypothetical crisis identified and assess its effectiveness in the conflict. Our final exam is challenging given the global community, the United Nations and the sovereignty of other countries. The world is continuously more and more intertwined; the lines–especially economically–are blurred as countries scour the earth for trade opportunities with nations and open up new markets to capitalize on business ventures and opportunity. As students begin to realize just how difficult every decision really is, be it political, humanitarian or morally just, these decisions are no longer black and white; they are fraught with varying shades of gray, even if that decision is to stop the senseless killing of innocent people. Our semester does end with hope, as they provide a potential plan to end genocide forever. Maybe someday their dreams can be realized.  

I am forever grateful to the students of East Greenwich High School for their thoughtful and articulate responses to the class as a whole and how they approach the final exam.  Their empathy and understanding of a complex subject inspires me to work harder and design a course worthy of their participation. Throughout my 24-year career, seventeen of which have been spent teaching Genocides of the Twentieth Century, I am continuously amazed at how fortunate I am to be in this district working in a profession that is so vitally important to society.  Interacting with students who think about the world around them and who apply the knowledge they gain may be the greatest gift of all.

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Rob Petrucci is a social studies and theater teacher at East Greenwich High School (EGHS) in Rhode Island. A graduate of Rhode Island College, he began his career in education as a behavior specialist at EGHS in 1998 and moved to the social studies department in 2000. Petrucci was the first recipient of the RI Outstanding Genocide Educator of the Year award in 2007, presented by the RI branch of The Genocide Education Project. He has also been recognized as the Fastpitch Softball Division II North Coach of the Year (2022), East Greenwich High School District Teacher of the School Year (2021-2022), NBC 10 Golden Apple Award Winner (2018) and Joyce & Bob Starr Teacher Award for Holocaust Education (2011).